Learning to Be With Ourselves: Louis C.K., Ken Wilber and Reality Sandwich

Ken Wilbur / Meditation

I've posted together this article and the two videos below, all of which explain this idea that distractions allow us to forget our true nature, preventing us from knowing who we are and, I think, hindering the progress of our spiritual or consciousness-based (you pick the word that works for you) evolution. From comedian Louis C.K. to teacher Ken Wilber to the well-written piece by Darrin Drda over at Reality Sandwich, the topic, though rarely discussed, is on the minds of a lot of us.

Here's a great quote from Gabor Mate that was taken from Darrin's piece:

"Many of us resemble the drug addict in our ineffectual efforts to fill the spiritual black hole… where we have lost touch with our souls, our spirit—with those sources of meaning and value that are not contingent or fleeting. Our consumerist, acquisition-, action-, and image-mad culture only serves to deepen the hole, leaving us emptier than before."

Louis C.K. links the rise of handheld devices, notably smartphones, to the subconscious fleeing from our inner, quiet selves. He says we are afraid of sadness and pain and that we fail to see that past that pain (the Buddhists call it the dull pain of existence) we can find a form of pure beauty, light and happiness so powerful that it can bring the mighty to their knees and the callous to tears.

Ken Wilber says the same thing in a different way. He talks about the concept of Big Mind and achoring it in "I-am-ness" or the recognition of an ever-present Big Mind. He reminds it that our true self is always present. In fact, it's the only thing that is always present and, furthermore, it's always been present, even before we were born, even before the Big Bang. It's the Big Mind or the consciousness of the universe and the universe cannot exist without it.

Very cool stuff if you ask me. Let's all remember to be with ourselves at least for a little while each day. We'll be doing society a favor and we'll be giving the universe and its all-knowing consciousness the attention that it deserves. Peace.

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